Helmet recommendations for occasional riding
 

I'm returning to doing some road riding on my rehabilitated Nishiki Olympic (1977), and I have NEVER worn a helmet in previous life of riding in urban Boston in the 70's-80's. Now it seems like (maybe) it's a good idea, but I am interested in relatively low-cost entry, in case I hate it. Does anybody have recommendations for a functional, non-obstructive piece of headgear for maybe $35-50? Definitely not in market for several hundred dollars (yet). Thanks for any guidance.

No need to go expensive. Just make sure the helmet you choose meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. And make sure you get the helmet properly fitted on your head (some helmets offer various pad sizes, make sure the straps are adjusted properly).

Specialized Align II is a decent helmet. Keep in mind though the low cost helmets are going to be heavier, less ventilated and usually less sized so the sort of one size fits some or two sizes fit some. It will protect fine which is the end goal of a helmet but a nicer lighter helmet is going to be more pleasurable on the head.

Amazon has several in your price range. Just make sure it has Consumer Protection ratings.

Although it’s a little out of your price range, a Giro Agilis MIPS ($99) absolutely saved my life in 2021 when I was struck broadside by a car making a left turn across traffic and “didn’t see me”.

I smashed the windshield with my head and left shoulder. I broke the shoulder and about 5 ribs beneath it. The whole left side of my helmet was smashed flat but I only suffered a slight concussion. If it had been my unprotected head hitting that hard I have no doubt that I wouldn’t be here typing this!

Get a helmet with plenty of ventilation. Then hopefully you won't be tempted to hang it on your handlebars as you ride. If you are thin of hair on top like I am, then you might want a sweatVac or some other type of dew rag to go underneath the helmet to keep you from getting a weird suntan pattern on your head.

Most any bicycle helmets you get here in the USA will be CPSC rated. While we might argue which is the better helmet for safety, they are all good enough and better than none when and if you do finally have that bad accident. It took me over 60 years to have mine. Glad I had a helmet on. It was just a cheap Giro Interceptor. It had eleven major cracks. Thankfully my skull only had two minor cracks along with fractured orbits.

MIPS is the real deal for protecting you from concussions and here is a good guide to help get the right fit:https://www.consumerreports.org/heal.../buying-guide/

the cheap $35 helmets are okay. If the cheapest the store has is like 75$ then there are other stores with the 35$ one.

Lazer Chiru Mips is probably representative of low end but quality-enough lid. About $49 currently.

I grew up in Tucson and now live in Oro Valley and would not dream of riding in town w/o MIPS. Sy and rsbob are offering you surviving a mild crash w/o a concussion for $15, improving the odds of not having just a headache andt:

• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Blurry vision
• Confusion or feeling as if in a fog
• Amnesia surrounding the traumatic event
• Dizziness or "seeing stars"
• Temporary loss of consciousness (though this doesn't always occur)
• Slurred speech
• Delayed response to questions
• Dazed appearance
• Forgetfulness, such as repeatedly asking the same question
• Concentration and memory complaints
• Irritability and other personality changes
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Sleep disturbances
• Psychological adjustment problems and depression
• Disorders of taste and smell

A $25 helmet from Target saved my noggin in a hard spill. The higher priced helmets probably have a degree of better protection, but any helmet is better than slamming your bare head onto asphalt.

I cracked the cheapo in that crash and now wear a $100 helmet that certainly has better fit and ventilation.

I have had helmets ranging from $25 up to $220. My favorite, irrespective of price is a Giro Isode and Register. I have one of each and can't tell the difference. With a little searching, they can be had for under $50. They are lightweight, cool, exceptionally comfortable and MIPS. A cheap, ill-fitting helmet can be very uncomfortable. Th Register can still be had in high vis yellow. Since our heads are in continuous motion and most often visible above passenger cars, having high vis can really increase visual conspicuity.

Go to a bike shop. Ask to try on helmets in your price range. Buy one that fits.
Then actually use it, even if you dislike it.

My first helmet back in the 80s was a black Bell. Then the bell rang and have only purchased white ever since. Not quite the high-vis yellow-green, but good enough.

What convinced me into buying a helmet was a coworker who went for a Saturday ride without a helmet, who, for some reason, lost control and hit her head on a concrete curb resulting in a head injury so severe, she was in a coma for days and then was never able to return to work.

Specialized Align II - MIPS and it comes in multiple color combos and sizes - currently $41 at the Spec. website. I have the XL in hi viz yellow. Even when wearing a thin SPF liner I don't overheat.


https://www.specialized.com/us/en/al...=297727-186472

And, it scored highly on the Virginia Tech. bike helmet test - #14 - way ahead of other helmets costing hundreds of $$$.
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicyc...atings.html#13

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...060558e871.jpg

Simply go to a bike shop. Try on helmets in your price range. Get the one you like best in terms of fit and color. No other way to do it. They're all good enough.

If you've never worn one, I definitely recommend going to a store to try them on. Some people find it harder to fit helmets because of their head size, shape, etc., and you might not be able to eyeball the kinds that fit you online.

Nov 1, 2012 I flipped over the bars and landed on the back of my head and hip. Cracked the helmet which actually is a good thing (takes energy away from the head).

Cheap Bell skater helmet. Did it's job. While my bell was rung, it kept me out of the hospital.

I Only buy cheap helmets .... I usually buy Bell because they fit the shape of my head, but as other have said, so long as it is a certified helmet ... $35-$50 will get you all the helmet you are every likely to need.You can spend ten time that amount, but there is zero proof that you will survive or not survive, or even suffer or avoid a concussion, based on some specific trademarked selling point. MIPS or whatever Might work in certain situations ..... but then you have to make sure that when you crash you impact in such a way so as to take advantage of the technology.

Not saying that in a few very specific sorts of impacts, MIPS might not help some .... but who has time to make sure one crashes in just the way the helmet is designed to alleviate?

Just kidding .... Any certified helmet is fine.

Nowadays, of course, there is a lot of counterfeit stuff out there. To me, the bigger issue would be to make sure I trusted the seller ..... that $300 helmet offered on E-Bay or Ali-Express for $50 ....

My son was born in 1976. He has never seen me riding a bike without a helmet in all that time, and he has seen me riding my bike his whole life. Fit and ventilation are important. If a helmet doesn't fit and is too hot you may be tempted to not wear it. A well fitted and ventilated helmet isn't noticed while you are riding. The cheapest offerings may not be comfortable to wear. Sometimes good deals can be found looking at previous years offerings

I am kinda surprised no one has mentioned the Virginia Tech ratings. If you search for Virginia Tech helmets you should get a link to a fairly impressive site which rates helmets on performance. You can see how they test them, and look at different models. They have list prices and performance scores so you can decide which ones interest you the most. Neither price, nor brand correlate into protection, some lower priced helmets performed better in uniform testing than highr priced ones. When I was looking for a new one a few years ago, the 2nd best helmet in their test was one of the lowest priced, so that's what I bought.

Just FYI jlaw did mention it.

Align IIs were a good deal at $55 blowing them out at $40.99 seems silly but that is what we are doing. Not many left.

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I think the VPI (also: Virginia Tech & Virginia Polytechnic Institute) tests should be publicized with fireworks. Based on their reco, I bought a Bontrager Rally MIPS which was very heavy. I actually bought a women's model for $50 which claimed the same sizing and specs as the men's version. I got a helmet in which I had confidence in at a great price.

After falling and hitting my head a couple of times, I bought an Align II for $55 because it fit my head better than anything else I've ever worn in 41 years of helmets. It has one failing in use: I like to rinse out the pads after most rides, and the pads do not live long. They don't even reattach easily - the dual-sided (kook-glue) things the pads attach to often go with the pads, so I have to re-place the things regularly.

If you buy the Align II - and it's a fine helmet, with an annoying quirk - my reco is to buy replacement pads at the same time. They're $8/set.

Or actually do what I planned to do: complain to Spesh before the warranty is up and demand new pads for free. I rode about 1,000 miles on my Align II last year, and I needed new pads at about 800 miles. I never companied, though, except in this post. :)

I wear a cycling skull cap under my helmet. Keeps my head cool, prevents striped sunburn and helps keep the pads from gettig filthy.